By Esther Milne
Have you thought that God could have included this as the eleventh commandment? There’s so much written in the Bible about fear and anxiety. I’ve heard that ‘Do Not Fear!’ appears 365 times, that’s once for every day of the year. However it’s not a command so that we feel condemned for a lack of faith. Rather, it’s a reminder that our Heavenly Father has got our situation in His hands so we don’t need to add the extra stress to our lives.
The Bible tells us to be anxious for nothing. If it’s in there it must be possible, but how well are we all doing at achieving this right now, at a time when people’s anxiety levels are running high?
I’ve never really considered myself to be an anxious person but I’ve realized that while others may be expressing outward signs of anxiety, mine tends to get stuffed inside. This past month has been one where I’ve experienced anxiety like never before. My husband, Jonathan & I both came down with Covid, but as I was recovering, he developed pneumonia. I knew so many others who were struggling at the same time. Then there were severe weather threats, Afghanistan … and although I was praying, I still felt the burden of the world on my shoulders.
For this reason Paul gives us instructions in Philippians 4, to be anxious for nothing, to pray with thanksgiving and then to exchange our burdens for God’s peace that will guard our hearts and minds.
God often compares us to sheep. Recently I did a study on Psalm 23 and learned that sheep are the most anxious of animals. They are easily panicked and worked into a frenzy, does that sound familiar? It’s only when they see the shepherd that they are restored to a place of calm.
What a lesson we can learn from the sheep. Instead of concentrating on the problems we are facing, let’s keep our eyes on our Good Shepherd, knowing that we can trust Him to take care of our every need just like He has promised to do.
